Successful inhibition of intracranial human glioblastoma multiforme xenograft growth via systemic adenoviral delivery of soluble endostatin and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2: laboratory investigation.

Object: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is characterized by neovascularization, raising the question of whether angiogenic blockade may be a useful therapeutic strategy for this disease. It has been suggested, however, that, to be useful, angiogenic blockade must be persistent and at levels sufficient to overcome proangiogenic signals from tumor cells. In this report, the authors tested the hypothesis that sustained high concentrations of 2 different antiangiogenic proteins, delivered using a systemic gene therapy strategy, could inhibit the growth of established intracranial U87 human GBM xenografts in nude mice.

Methods: Mice harboring established U87 intracranial tumors received intravenous injections of adenoviral vectors encoding either the extracellular domain of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2-Fc fusion protein (Ad-VEGFR2-Fc) alone, soluble endostatin (Ad-ES) alone, a combination of Ad-VEGFR2-Fc and Ad-ES, or immunoglobulin 1-Fc (Ad-Fc) as a control.

Results: Three weeks after treatment, magnetic resonance imaging-based determination of tumor volume showed that treatment with Ad-VEGFR2-Fc, Ad-ES, or Ad-VEGFR2-Fc in combination with Ad-ES, produced 69, 59, and 74% growth inhibition, respectively. Bioluminescent monitoring of tumor growth revealed growth inhibition in the same treatment groups to be 62, 74, and 72%, respectively. Staining with proliferating cell nuclear antigen and with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling showed reduced tumor cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in all antiangiogenic treatment groups.

Conclusions: These results suggest that systemic delivery and sustained production of endostatin and soluble VEGFR2 can slow intracranial glial tumor growth by both reducing cell proliferation and increasing tumor apoptosis. This work adds further support to the concept of using antiangiogenesis therapy for intracranial GBM.